Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system and method for processing location data, and more specifically to a system and method for processing location data based on one or more different location data augmentation routines selected by a user.
Description of the Background Art
Currently, systems exist for tracking the location of persons and/or property. Generally, such systems include a mobile tracking device carried by the person and/or the property being monitored. The mobile tracking device transmits location data to a central station.
Such mobile tracking devices typically include a GPS receiver and a wireless cellular modem. The GPS receiver picks up satellite signals indicative of the user's global position. The cellular modem then sends the position data (e.g., longitude and latitude coordinates) to a central station where it undergoes augmentation. In particular, the longitude and latitude coordinates are augmented so as to be displayed on a street map or the like. The central station typically includes a server connected to the internet so that a subscriber can log on to the server with another computer connected to the internet and monitor the mobile tracking device in real-time.
Although advances in tracking system technology have been made over the past several years, technology for providing users access to the tracking data (e.g., internet tracking) is still relatively unexplored. One shortcoming in current technology is that users are limited to whatever particular augmentation service the central station provides. Therefore, if a user prefers multiple specific augmentation services the user will have to log on to one server for a specific augmentation and then log on to another server for another specific augmentation, assuming the desired augmentations are even available.
What is needed, therefore, is a tracking system and method that can augment tracking data in multiple ways and provide the augmented tracking data to a user. What is also needed is a tracking system and method that can augment tracking data based on information and preferences provided by a particular user and then provide the augmented data to that user. What is also needed is a tracking system and method that stores augmentation preferences for a plurality of users.